DAILY DEVOTION, 5/11,2021

After we have meditated on the wonderful truth that God is our heavenly Father, we come next to the phrase “hallowed be thy name.” “Hallowed’ is derived from the Greek word for “holy.”  It means to hold the name of God with the highest reverence and awe. Jesus reminds us that when we pray our first thought must not be of our needs or the needs of others. It is a bad habit to barge into the presence of God with a list of requests. Before we begin to speak to God of our needs, we need to pause and remember to whom we are speaking. We are in the presence of a holy God. God our Father’s name must be honored when we pray.

Notice that this petition is not a statement of fact. It does not say, “Your name is holy,” although that is certainly true. We are praying that we who pray will have a proper respect and honor for God, our Father. We are addressing the triune God who spoke the universe into existence. His power and creativity are beyond our comprehension. When we honor the name of God, we regard Him with awe and reverence.  To be casual or flippant when we pray to the Father is utterly inappropriate.

When we pray, “Hallowed be thy name” we have said a mouthful. We are saying that our intention is to honor the name of God, to avoid using His name in any manner that dishonors Him. We pray that in our lives and in our church, the name of God will be given the highest possible honor.

Gracious heavenly Father, I must confess that all to often my prayers begin with my needs and requests. Remind me when I pray to reflect on Your nature. You are a holy God. May I always remember first of all to honor Your name and the name of Your beloved Son. It is in His name I pray, Amen.